Just Count on Me: Counting on Love Prequel by Erin Nicholas Read Free Book Online Page B

bottom. And there should be nothing sexy about his best friend’s little sister muttering words that would have shocked her mother while putting colorful gumdrops on the top of green Rice Krispie treat trees.
    But Cody Madsen found himself a little tighter in his blue jeans when he stepped into Olivia Dixon’s kitchen. She was beautiful. Her jeans were faded across the butt, her hair was escaping the twist on top of her head, she had green frosting smeared up one arm and cocoa powder on her left thigh.
    And he wanted to kiss her.
    But then again, he wanted to kiss her nearly every time he saw her, green frosting or not.
    The timer on the oven went off, startling him. She turned away from the table where she
    had at least four different kinds of cookies spread out and saw him.
    “Cody!”
    “Hi. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.” Of course, with Bruce Springsteen belting out his version of Santa Claus Is Coming To Town , she couldn’t have heard his knock or him coming in through the front door.
    She reached for the stereo that sat on the shelf where she kept her cookbooks and turned down the volume. “No problem.”
    “Conner asked me to come over and get his cooler. He said he sent it home with you after the last tailgate.” Among other things, Cody and Olivia’s brother Conner, played on the local amateur football team, the Omaha Hawks, together. Once a month, the guys hung out with fans pre-game at the Hawks sponsored tailgate party.
    “It’s in the garage,” Olivia said, gesturing toward the door.
    Cody started in that direction, but something in her eyes made him stop. He’d only been able to appreciate her from the side. Now looking at her straight on he realized she’d been crying.
    He frowned. “You okay?”
    She sniffed, but nodded. “I’m baking for the bake sale at St. Anthony’s.”
    St. Anthony’s was the big local trauma center where Conner, and their buddy Ryan, worked as paramedics. The Christmas bake sale was an annual event that raised money for Christmas gifts for the local women and children’s center.
    “It smells great.”
    It did. Underneath the aroma of burnt sugar.
    “My gingerbread men are more appropriate for Halloween, my Rice Krispie trees are too mushy, I’m out of coconut, and I can’t even get the sugar cookies to turn out. And,” she went on. “I have to come up with a unique recipe for the contest and everything I’ve tried has ended up in the garbage.”
    It was obvious she was distracted. Olivia was a fantastic baker. He’d had her cookies, pies, cakes and brownies in the years since he’d met Conner in college. They were all amazing. Almost as amazing as his.
    “What’s going on?” he asked.
    She sniffed again and shrugged. “Nothing. I’m just stressed about getting the cookies done.”
    “How many are you doing?” There were a lot of cookies in that kitchen already.
    “Ten dozen.”
    “ Ten ?”
    She lifted a shoulder. “Baking makes me happy. It comforts me.”
    “You need comforting?” He hated that idea. Olivia was the sweet one of the Dixon Divas—as she and her three sisters were collectively called. She was the bubbly optimist. Everyone loved that about her. Cody loved that about her. She was one of those people that could put you in a good mood no matter what else was going on. He hated to think she was anything less than happy.
    “No. I just need to make six dozen more cookies.”
    “I’ll help.”
    Her eyes widened. “You’ll help me make cookies?”
    Well, hell, he hadn’t really meant to say that but…cookies he could do. Comforting a woman, he wasn’t so sure about and he suspected that she did actually need comforting.
    Cody tossed his keys onto the counter by the coffee pot and rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll help you make cookies.”
    She looked wary. “Do you know how to make cookies?”
    “Olivia,” he said, stepping to the sink to wash his hands. “I’m going to blow your mind with how I make cookies.”
    Her